My prediction is that there is much more to come for this type of “ionospheric” implementation of the Twitter platform. Ideally Twitter will become the de-facto standard for sending a “personal” note to anyone, anywhere. Users can easily and actively vet incoming communications in a separate space from their traditional, and practically sacred, inboxes.

@anywhere will push relevant users to the forefront and allow Twitter accounts to become a more mainstream tool for interpersonal communication. Judging by the early screenshots, I’d say the Twitter team is still catering to power-users and not doing enough to make the service accessible to the masses. Case-in-point—to re-tweet, reply, or view a users profile page they seem to only use icons. While this is accepted iconography within the Twitter community, it will not open up the platform to casual observers—an absolute must if they continue to organically grow their user-base.

The bigger-picture implications of @anywhere come in the simple fact that the future of communication will come not from impersonal phone numbers, but from personalized “usernames” that will make exchanging quick messages with friends seem like a world away from the numerical strings that made up the majority of email addresses until the launch of the mainstream version of AOL in the early ‘90s. Instead of limiting ourselves to simple text transactions, I can see the Twitter ecosystem opening up to include a wide-swath of communications options—voice and long-form messaging, along with the short bursts of text we’re currently using it for.

It could become a switchboard for the modern era, nicely sidestepping and/or complementing everything Google has rolled out over the past six months.

As soon as we get our hands on the platform we’ll be able to post a more robust commentary on whether the future value of this tool is in the sheer number of sites its placed within (a potential advertising platform), or whether it serves as a launchpad for future structural changes for the service (communications switchboard).

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“Brands want to communicate with customers, and there’s an equation there that can be easily replicated with sports in that players want to interact with their fans to create a more loyal fan base. [In terms of the NBA] social media allows players to very easily transcend just being a basketball player. It allows any athlete to take that next step in communication with fans and make it personal.”

Check out SLAM Magazine Online and read the rest of the article HERE.

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As a prolific status-updater I am in no way claiming innocence on this (my last status update was VIP at DMB with Carrot Creative, jealous yet?) But seriously, the reason I bring this to our attention is because as a creative agency, working with brands that consumers want to associate themselves with makes our jobs at Carrot a whole lot easier. We encourage “cool” brands to offer viral content users can share, blog, post, whatever you want to call it, giving the consumer more opportunity to “tag their brag.”

Here are a couple of status updates as good examples

• Just had an amazing 8 mile run with my new Asics“
• “Won free tickets to see Bruno tonight!”

(disclaimer we have no relationship with Asics or Bruno)
By using these brands to vindicate their bragging, these people unknowingly promoted the brand in perfect context… textbook marketing. Technology platforms that monitor this kind of “name-dropping” across the web give brands and marketers a direct link to how consumers incorporate the product with their lifestyle. Understanding a brands “social reputation” is an integral part of a marketers job.

So with that, take a minute to think about what brands YOU want to associate yourself with and do them a favor and find them on Twitter, join their Facebook Fan Page, or hey, tattoo their logo on your forearm. A good one to get started with? The Carrot Twitter page and Facebook Fan Page.

What do you think, do you have any examples of shameful bragging that put brands in a good (or bad) light?

This article is copyright © 2012 

Whether it was Kevin Love breaking news or Shaq hearing he’d been traded on Twitter (and then singing about it), the fact is social media is changing this landscape. More and more NBA players are signing up for Twitter everyday, connecting with their fans and building actual relationships with them – no Traditional Media outlets involved.

Twitter alone has gotten so popular among NBA players and teams that David Stern even warned teams not to disclose draft picks on Twitter before the official announcements at the 2009 NBA Draft.

Side note: Thanks to our good friends in the NBDL, Kyle and I were in attendance at the Draft. We had a great time hanging with the guys from HHReynolds, The Sports Hernia and Project Spurs. Speaking of which, here’s a quick video of Kyle screaming at Hasheem Thabeet with some UCONN love.

Anyway, my point here is simple: Social media is truly changing the sports world. By choice, athletes are more accessible, and that makes being a fan more fun. Executed correctly, a social media strategy allows a player, team, or league to expand their reach and provide fans with an enriched experience. It’s a win-win for everyone involved and it is enhancing fandom as we know it.

This is what Carrot loves about the social web and it’s exactly why we’re entrenched in sports.

This article is copyright © 2012 

I just returned from the Future of Media Panel hosted by I Want Media at NYU’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. If you missed it, check out the livestream here. It was interesting this year compared to last, which is a true testament to how things have changed in the media world.. Last year’s panelists included more of a traditional set including Michael Wolff from Vanity Fair, Erick Schonfeld from TechCrunch and David Carr from The New York Times. (There were others of course. Allen Stern’s CenterNetworks recap from last year can be read here if you want more.) The panel focused on a popular topic at the time “What is online killing/hurting?” Answers revolved around music, print, etc… you know the argument.

This year, we were over the fact that things were “dying” (for the most part) and focused on where everything is going to be LIVING. It was also a tailored conversation to each of the panelists and what they’re doing individually at their publications/sites. A look at the panel of speakers and you’ll see how all of them had something different to bring to the table:

• Nick Denton, Founder, Gawker Media
• Jack Dorsey, Co-Founder and Chairman, Twitter
• Bonnie Fuller, Founder, Bonnie Fuller Media (not in photo above)
• Alan Murray, Deputy Managing Editor and Executive Editor Online, The Wall Street Journal
• Craig Newmark, Founder and Customer Service Rep, Craigslist

The panelists were awesome. Just look at the list. You have new media, “old” media, non-media and then Twitter that falls into whatever category people are calling it these days. Twitter was the main topic of the questions as it is the main topic of everything these days.

Alan and Nick were the most vocal discussing their experience and debating whether or not advertising was the string holding media together (Alan says NO, Nick says Absolutely YES) Nick even went on to say that “newspapers don’t have material that people will pay for” stirring up some comments from Bonnie Fuller as well. Besides this one disagreement, Nick and Alan noted that they’re actually quite similar on their views. Nick even gets his Wall Street Journal news from Alan’s selective Twitter feed.

Craig Newmark was the show stealer with planned iPhone app sounds after his witty comments (Insert Sad Trombone sound here.) Craig also praised his nerd status and the fact that he is a bystander in a media world growing around him.

The moderator, I Want Media’s Patrick Phillips was the only “need for improvement” of the event. It really goes to show how a moderator can make or break a panel. You need someone who is snappy, on top of his panelists and able to shape the conversation. All traits that were visibly absent.

The good thing is that the panel was optimistic and open to the media landscape changing. That’s a great thing actually. There is opportunity for all involved. Whether it be new media, old media—it’s media and it’s changing. Whether or not you like it or are ready to adapt to it will determine how much it can grow to your own liking.

Some of my favorite soundbites from the panel:

Jack Dorsey:
-Twitter will be a success to the people at Twitter when people aren’t talking about it anymore. When it becomes a utility, that’s when we will consider it a success.
-Twitter is good at listening to our users. We took VC money to become patient and don’t want to do something that will not fit within the commuity.
-Twitter is not a search engine, but rather a Discovery Engine. News is breaking first on Twitter and people are realizing this. (Side note: Jack Dorsey goes to the NY Times for his news after checking the Twitter trending topics.)

Bonnie Fuller:
-People feel that there is an enormous need to be a star in their own lives. Reality shows aren’t needed when you have Twitter. You can do it there.

Alan Murray:
-There is a skill set needed for online. A certain attitude and personality is needed to write in this fashion.
-The Wall Street Journal has one big DON’T when it comes to social media: Don’t be Stupid.
-If you’re Bob Woodward, you probably shouldn’t tweet you’re going to meet Deep Throat.

Nick Denton:
-There is value of producing something original. It’s fantastic. People gather around original content because it’s so scarce.
-Gawker is Ivy Leage and Hipster gossip.
-I’m not selling Gawker Media.

Craig Newmark:
-I’m the Forrest Gump of the Internet.
-Trust is the new black. I read the New York Times because I trust their fact checking and sources.

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But, what affects us here at >carrot creative the most—explaining this to the brands. The brands that we JUST signed up to jump into Twitter because frankly, tweeting their name is a great way to get exposure, share links, engage—you know the deal. We’ve signed them on because Twitter is viral. An easy place to let people know about their online presence. They get that and are excited.

And then Twitter takes it all away. If I tweet @amazingbrand and my friend isn’t following it yet, they won’t see it. Boo. So, now you have to include the brand name in the middle of the tweet. No way of showing response or customer service from brands like @zappos @jetblue.

What about all of the cool bots that have been set up? Lyric of the Day. @lotd Shake Shack @shakeshack Really cool Twitter accounts that rely on the @reply to spread. They have helped form communities offline and connect people.

Like everything else that changes on a regular basis, we’re of course adapting. We’re thinking of new ways for our clients and brands to be on Twitter. As we should be. And as you should too. There is a way around this and brands can still become a huge player on Twitter.It’s just a shame that something that was really working now has to be altered.

What do you think? Are you seeing responses or questions from brands about Twitter and the new changes? Share them in the comments!

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So, when I came upon an op-ed today from Greg Galant, fellow DUMBO-ite talking about how Twitter “saved” public relations from PR—I was interested. (First off—PR didn’t need to be saved from itself, it needed time to adjust to the changes like everything else.) Greg goes on about how major brands have used Twitter to be the face and respond almost instantly to complaint, comments on questions using Twitter. He also focuses on how executives have delegated all communications tactics to PR people limiting their interaction. Fine. But he also notes that we should move away from PR interaction when it comes to social media communication (especially on Twitter) because “the voice of many corporations has lost its humanity.”

Don’t get me wrong—not ALL communication should be done via PR pro, but there is still an opportunity and need for this to be done in a right way. I still think you need SOMEONE to discuss a communications strategy when taking a first step into unknown territory. Otherwise, it could lack focus, direction…or mishaps. (Yes, Whole Foods I’m talking to you) While Twitter has worked for JetBlue, Comcast, Zappos—these executives were pretty tech savvy from the start. And, I’d be surprised if a comms person wasn’t brought into at least one of the earlier conversations. If not, props to them but it’s not the normal case. What about the executive that has never used Facebook, YouTube or Twitter but realizes that there is a need to be involved? Are you going to just say “Go have fun!” NO. You’re not.

Social media tools, while definitely a place that needs to be tried by the person can be a scary place to jump into. If you’re not sure of what is needed, bringing on the PR/comms team to help for the initial discussions can be extremely helpful. They’re the ones that have been watching this space for awhile and realize the importance of two way conversation, thus making it easier to walk through the step by step process. After a few months, the executive should be comfortable enough and under the realization of how to do it themselves. But, unless they’re ready to represent an entire organizations messaging via Twitter—hold off and work with someone.

You won’t be looked down upon. You’ll be looked at as someone who wants to get it right.

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In order to provide smart and strategic counsel, an all or nothing approach is not necessarily the right approach. The Pew Internet & American Life Project released recent survey findings regarding American’s use of microblogging sites like Twitter, Yammer (yes, it looks like people are still using it!) and others.

Some key results:

• Nearly one in five (19%) online adults ages 18 and 24 have ever used Twitter and its ilk, as have 20% of online adults 25 to 34. Use of these services drops off steadily after age 35 with 10% of 35 to 44 year olds and 5% of 45 to 54 year olds using Twitter. The decline is even more stark among older internet users; 4% of 55-64 year olds and 2% of those 65 and older use Twitter.
• Twitter users are also slightly more likely to live in urban areas, with 35% of Twitter users living in urban areas (compared to 29% of all internet users) and just 9% of
  Twitterers and status updaters living in rural areas, compared to 17% of internet users.
  

Now, while there are tons of reports about WHO is on Twitter and WHO is on Facebook—sometimes it’s hard to actually take what is really the important part of this data when targeting this audience. How about we take what is available to us and figure out where we SHOULDN’T be putting our dollars. If Twitter is used by people who live in cities, take Twitter out of your marketing plan for a rural target product. Is your target audience over 45+? While it may look good to include Twitter in your proposal as a company that “gets” social media, you’re only hurting yourself. Think about your audience and where you shouldn’t go. It’s just as important as where you SHOULD be.

This article is copyright © 2012 

While many brands are scrambling to get online and in “social media” (we have the privilege of working with many of them–woot!) sometimes it’s good to just step back and cover the basics, do the little things first and then expand to something bigger based on event or launch timing, market need or announcement.

Last night The Grammys proved that the “little things” work with a simple social media campaign targeting Facebook and Twitter to update users in real time of red carpet photos and videos.

Twitter: @TheGRAMMYS provided the official live updates of performances and winners for those not watching or for those who want to comment. Not sure who was behind this (I DMed them, no comment back yet) but they were very timely and clear on what was going on.

*Twitter Bonuses: John Mayer live tweeted when he won his award and E! had Marc Malkin, Entertainment Columnist live tweeting about the show.

Facebook: The Recording Academy had a full page set to the Grammys including video interviews from the red carpet, performances and photos of all the fashion.

last.fm: The Grammys set up an event on last.fm with links to videos from the CBS Katie Couric interviews last week plus music streams of the nominees.

With awards show season half way through, online destination sites have proved to be the place to interact with other users real time. Past awards shows have been  spent glued to one TV screen and a phone texting the winners to friends. Now, they are glued to multiple TV or laptop screens filled with Boxee and TweetDeck updates waiting to comment on the performance before anyone else does, post a blog about the fashion of Miley Cyrus or reblog the Tumblr video commenting on M.I.A.’s possible pregnancy on stage during the show.

The future of television is changing as the days go by. Entertainment is changing before our eyes as the three screen revolution continues to add new elements to traditional modes of entertainment like an awards show. Gillian Reagan covered Living Room 2.0 in the NY Observer a few months back touching on this new move to the digital interaction in your living room. What’s next? Now that the Grammys live tweeted, it’s almost expected that The Oscars do the same. Will they? What about movie premieres? Once you give the community one thing, we’re going to expect it for the next. Marketers–prepare yourselves.

This article is copyright © 2012 

Twitter is an interesting space. A space where you can connect with new people,post random thoughts, blah blah…we know we know. But, I’m really interested and grateful for this community and the constant feedback they provide.

For example. Yesterday, I was in the mood to hear some music that gets me pumped up for a big negotiation we have. We have a LOT going on here and YES I am an excited person, but I wanted to add my own personal soundtrack. So, where do I find my songs? Cue to Twitter. I posted this tweet. A simple one. Just asking for some songs to keep me going. Within 10 minutes I received over 30 responses to songs. From “Chariots of Fire” to Britney Spears, Rammstein to Queen—I had them all. And you know what? I listened to them ALL.

We’ve blogged before about the unique ways Twitter works when a community is passionate about something and willing to offer content. People like adding their two cents about things they like, things they’re interested in and things they don’t mind sharing. But people also provide insightful suggestions and commentary. Feedback that helps take a conversation or thought to the next level.

This holds true when thinking about brands and presence on social media as well. Suggestion is a powerful tool. It allows people to get the satisfaction of helping someone while at the same time allowing a glimpse into a person’s style. This is only exaggerated on something open like Twitter because it allowed everyone to show that they are willing to provide help to the community and the type of style that person has. Many brands are doing it. Engaging with the community and asking for feedback. This past weekend brand reps were involved in the Twitter conversation to hear what everyone was saying about their ads, responding to questions and discussing what worked and what didn’t.

It’s a great thing to see and we can’t wait to get more involved in these types of conversations.

Special shout out thanks to those who responded:

@akeats @katherine925 @alexandergordon @bicoastalite @thoughtfarmer @MaryMassey @bellanyc1 @fbihop @davidaimi @LenKendall @littlemavs @claynewton @ceonyc @borismsilver @steketee & @Tucson_Cowgirl

Oh, and my favorite song that was suggested? “Swagger Like Us” by TI from @steketee. Thanks!

This article is copyright © 2012